--25 % of
the LGBTQ population abuse alcohol, while only 5-10% of
the heterosexual population abuse alcohol.

--73% of lesbians have used alcohol in the last 30 days
and 81% have used alcohol in the last year.

--80% of gay men have used alcohol in the last 30 days
and 89% have used alcohol in the last year.

Addictions and Recovery Support for the LGBTQ Community

Drug abuse and addiction present major challenges for
the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ)
community. Already high within the general population,
rates of substance abuse increase substantially within
the LGBTQ community alone.

Unfortunately, little research is available to confirm
actual rates of drug abuse among those who identify as
LGBTQ, so it is difficult to ascertain the exact extent
of the problem. However, a study conducted by
Australia's Queensland Association for Healthy
Communities presents a grim picture. In this 2005
survey, 44.8 percent of respondents claimed to smoke
daily, with most using between 11 and 20 cigarettes per
day.

Alcohol abuse was also rampant, with 41.4 percent of
respondents drinking more than eight alcoholic beverages
per week. Perhaps most alarming of all, half of
respondents had used recreational drugs at some point or
were still using them at the time of the survey. The top
five recreational drugs mentioned in the survey included
marijuana, Ecstasy, amyl nitrite (poppers), crystal meth
and speed.

Preliminary research suggests that rates of drug abuse
are also high in the United States. A study published in
the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment found that
LGBTQ youth were far more likely to develop crippling
addictions than their heterosexual counterparts.
Furthermore, once they did fall victim to addiction,
these individuals were less likely to seek rehab and
recovery treatment.

Why are LGBTQ addiction rates so high? It is clear that
drug addiction is the cause of much suffering among
members of the LGBTQ population, but why exactly is this
community afflicted by such high rates of substance
abuse? A number of factors can contribute to LGBTQ drug
abuse, including the following:

--Higher rates of depression among LGBTQ individuals

--A need to escape from the constant presence of social
stigma and homophobia

--Efforts to either numb or enhance sexual feelings

--Ease shame and guilt related to LGBTQ identity

--Drug use among peers leads to pressure on non-users

Unfortunately, many of the factors contributing to the
development of addiction in LGBTQ individuals can also
prevent these sufferers from seeking treatment.
Addiction, as well as mental illness in general, carries
a heavy social stigma with it, but an LGBTQ identity
compounds that stigma even more. Additionally, many
members of the LGBTQ community worry that they will not
be able to find LGBTQ recovery centers suited to meeting
their unique needs. They may be unwilling to enter
traditional addiction recovery programs instead of gay
drug recovery facilities, mostly due to their fear of
being targeted by heterosexuals taking part in these
recovery programs. These worries are not necessary,
however, because a number of excellent LGBT rehab
facilities are available.

Michael Botticelli is a drug policy expert. He also
happens to be gay. As Director of National Drug Control
Policy, Michael Botticelli led the Obama
Administrationís drug policy efforts to diminish the
consequences of substance use through evidence-based
prevention, treatment and recovery support services.
His TED Talk lecture (April 2017) is worth viewing.

He says that addiction is a disease and that we should
treat it that way. Only one in nine people in the United
States gets the care and treatment they need for
addiction and substance abuse. A former Director of
National Drug Control Policy, Michael Botticelli is
working to end this epidemic and treat people with
addictions with kindness, compassion and fairness. In a
personal, thoughtful talk, he encourages the millions of
Americans in recovery today to make their voices heard
and confront the stigma associated with substance use
disorders.

As Director of National Drug Control Policy, Botticelli
led the Obama Administration's drug policy efforts,
which are based on a balanced public health and public
safety approach. The Administration advanced historic
drug policy reforms and innovations in prevention,
criminal justice, treatment and recovery.

In response to the national opioid epidemic, Botticelli
coordinated actions across the Federal government to
reduce prescription drug abuse, heroin use and related
overdoses. These include supporting community-based
prevention efforts; educating prescribers and the public
about preventing prescription drug abuse; expanding use
of the life-saving overdose-reversal drug naloxone by
law enforcement and other first responders; and
increasing access to medication-assisted treatment and
recovery support services to help individuals sustain
their recovery from opioid use disorders.

According to Pride Institute, "In the LGBTQ community,
research suggests that alcohol abuse and dependence
occurs at even higher rates than in the mainstream
population. Independent studies collectively support the
estimate that alcohol abuse occurs in the LGBTQ
community as rates up to three times that in the
mainstream population. Said another way, alcohol abuse
is estimated to occur in up to 45% of those in the LGBTQ
community."

Ann Leible is an LPC with Pride Institute. She offers
this critical information about drug and alcohol abuse
among LGBTQ persons:

It is generally held among researchers that LGBTQ
persons are more likely to use alcohol and drugs than
the general population and more likely to abuse alcohol
and drugs, as cited in the Center for Substance Abuse
Treatments A Providerís Introduction to Substance Abuse
Treatment for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and
Queer Individuals. Twenty to twenty-five percent of gay
men and lesbians are heavy alcohol users, compared to
3-10% of the heterosexual population.

Why is this? What factors contribute to the prevalence
of chemical abuse among gays and lesbians, bisexual,
transgender, and queer individuals? And, finally, what
can be done about it? Attitudes and assumptions
regarding homosexuality and chemical abuse have evolved
throughout the years. Until 1973, homosexuality was
defined as a mental illness by the American Psychiatric
Association.

Alcoholism and chemical abuse issues, once treated
solely as legal problems, now are seen as illnesses of
the mind, body, and spirit. At one time it was believed
that there was a causal relationship between
homosexuality and alcoholism with the idea that
suppressed homosexual tendencies actually triggered
chemical abuse and dependency.

Today this myth has been dispelled by research. Instead,
scientists believe that societal factors affect the
relationship between chemical abuse and the experiences
of members of the LGBTQ community. The society in which
we live marginalizes the LGBTQ community. In fact, there
is an ever-presentness of possible oppression in LGBTQ
peopleís lives. Under such conditions, LGBTQ folk can
experience varying degrees of heterosexism.

Ann Leible (LPC with Pride Institute) offers an
explanation as to why substance abuse may be higher
among LGBTQ people. She sites these factors:

Heterosexism - Heterosexism is defined as the
stigmatization of non-heterosexual forms of emotional
and affectional expression, sexual behavior or
community. Negative covert and overt messages about the
gay and lesbian lifestyle as well as incidents of hate
in the form of threats, acts of humiliation, emotional
abuse, and even murder occur frequently. Other common
examples of heterosexism include: rejection by family,
friends, and peers; loss of employment or lack of
promotion; and observing/hearing people make
heterosexist jokes. Heterosexism can contribute to
internalized homophobia, shame, and a negative
self-concept.

Self-Medication - Some LGBTQ individuals self-medicate
with drugs and alcohol as a way to cope with or numb
negative feelings associated with heterosexism, such as
isolation, fear, depression, anxiety, anger, and
mistrust. Others in the gay community may use mind
altering substances as a way to cope with stressors
caused by the tensions of living under the stigma of
marginalization. In fact, substance use is a large part
of the social life of many in the LGBTQ community. The
gay bar scene is regarded as a risk factor for substance
abuse among the gay community. But these bars have often
been the only places where LGBTQ folks can socialize and
feel free from the prevailing oppression that is
experienced every day in a strongly heterosexist
society. The LGBTQ individual who has experienced
rejection from his or her biological family may find in
the gay bar that one opportunity for identity
affirmation and acceptance.

Heterosexism also causes many LGBTQ folks to
compartmentalize their lives. On the outside, they may
follow the rules of the dominant society and behave in
ways that are accepted as the norm in order to fit in
and succeed. Kimeron N. Hardin, in The Gay and Lesbian
Self-Esteem Book: A Guide to Loving Ourselves (1999),
defines this identity as the public self. The secret
self, on the other hand, is that part of self that is
honest and consistent with how one truly feels and what
one desires. It remains hidden and is often perceived by
the LGBTQ identified individual as shameful, evil, or
unworthy. Engaging in such actions of secret keeping,
compartmentalizing, and self-degradation can take a huge
emotional toll on an individual. As every 12 Step member
knows, secrets keep us sick.

Substance use can provide an avenue of relief that is
easily accessible and immediate in its effects. It can
also mirror the coping mechanisms of
self-compartmentalizing. The user can experience a
chemically promoted dissociation, which the LGBTQ
individual may find both familiar and comforting.
Therefore, the compelling allure of alcohol and drugs
manifest, and the user becomes vulnerable to the cycle
of chemical addiction.

Barriers in Treatment Services - Heterosexism plays a
part in the chemically dependent LGBTQ individualís
inability to access effective treatment services.
Substance abuse treatment facilities are often not able
to meet the needs of this special population. The
treatment staff of such facilities may have varying
heterosexist assumptions regarding the LGBTQ clients who
access their services. They may be uninformed about
LGBTQ issues, insensitive to or antagonistic toward
LGBTQ clients or believe that homosexuality causes
substance abuse or can be changed by therapy. Other
clients may have negative attitudes toward the LGBTQ
client.

These issues become barriers in successful treatment
experiences for the LGBTQ individual seeking those
services. Treatment components designed to promote
successful treatment experiences for the LGBTQ client
include cultural sensitivity, an awareness of the impact
of cultural victimization, and addressing issues of
internalized shame and negative self-acceptance. The
integrated biological-psychological social model of
chemical addiction treatment takes into account the
effects of society on the individual and his or her
relation to the use of chemicals.

The inclusive and accepting spirit promoted by
Alcoholics Anonymous and other support groups provides
an appropriate alternative to the gay bar. LGBTQ folks
can find a way to transcend the in-authenticity promoted
by cultural oppression through the affirming acceptance
of others. As a result, they may find themselves living
more integrated and expressive lives. Who needs alcohol
or drugs when oneís life is so full?